SA ‘seeking clarity’ over ICC al-Bashir hearing

South African Justice Minister Michael Masutha says the government has written to the International Criminal Court (ICC) seeking clarity after the court said it would hold a public hearing next April to look into whether South Africa failed in its duty by refusing to arrest Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir last year.

The court has called on South Africa to send representatives to a hearing next year to explain why it did not execute the ICC warrant to arrest Mr Bashir while he was in the country:

Mr Bashir was in Johannesburg for an African Union (AU) summit last June.

But he flew out of the country despite an order barring him from leaving while a Pretoria court decided whether to arrest him on charges issued by the ICC.

The Pretoria High Court issued an order for Mr Bashir’s arrest hours after his aircraft left the country and its judge later criticised the government for letting him leave.

South Africa has since announced it will withdraw from the ICC, with a minister saying it did not want to execute ICC arrest warrants that would lead to “regime change”.

Mr Bashir is wanted by the ICC on charges of genocide and war crimes.

He denies allegations that he committed atrocities in Sudan’s troubled western Darfur region.